Wallboard trim



June 25, 1957 c. WOLLAEGER 2,796,641-

WALLBOARD TRIM Filed Jan. 5, 1955 v 2 sham-sheet 1 A fi /7 7 4 Z 3g: 10

June 25, 1957 c. G. WOLLAEGER 2,795,641

7 WALLBOARD TRIM Filed Jan. s, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent C WALLBOARD TRIlVI Clarence G. Wollaeger, Hartland, Wis., assignor to Elizabeth Wollaeger and Herbert J. Mueller as trustees for the. estate of Clarence G. Wollaeger Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 479,420

1 Claim. (CI. 20-74) This invention relates to wallboard trim and refers particularly to the molding-like lengths rolled from sheet metal and used to protect and finish the edges and corners of so called drywall construction in which wallboard is used in lieu of plaster.

For the protection of outside corners formed by the junction of two' sheets of wallboard, the trim heretofore available consisted of lengths of sheet metal substantially right angular in cross section so as to have two right angularly disposed relatively wide nailing flanges connected by a corner portion. This trim was secured in place by nails passed through holes in its nailing flanges and driven into the underlying. walls, and to conceal the trim, and especially the nailing flanges and nail heads, spackle or any other suitable finishing cement was applied over the flanges flush with its corner portion and feather-edged out over the adjacent surfaces of the wallboard.

Where the edges of wallboard sheets required protection, the trim generally had a channel shaped cross section with two parallel flanges between which the edge portion of the wallboard was received. One of these flanges wa wider than the other and served as the nailing flange. As such it was engaged over the outer surface of the wall board and had to be concealed by spackle.

Trim of the type to which this invention pertains thus aways has at least one metal flange which must be covered and concealed by spackle or other suitable finishing cement. Since this covering coat of necessity is relatively thin so as to blend smoothly with the adjacent surface of the wallboard, the matter of suitably anchoring the spackle or cement has always presented a serious problem. Providing the nailing flanges with holes through which the spackle or cement can reach the underlying surface of the wallboard for adhesion thereto, as has been the practice in the past, and roughening the outer surfaces of the flanges in some manner, has been shown by experience to be inadequate.

This invention, therefore, has as its purpose to provide an improved manner of anchoring the spackle to the trim, and to that end, has as its main object to provide wallboard trim so constructed that when in position, a hollow space is positively formed beneath the part of the trim where the layer or coat of spackle is thickest and into which the spackle enters through appropriately located holes in the trim, to thereby firmly anchor the spackle layer or coat.

Another object of this invention is to provide wallboard trim of the character described with a ledge which overhangs the nailing flange and by which the spackle coating is held in place, and wherein the means defining this ledge also serves to space part of the trim from the wallboard and thereby provide the space into which the spackle enters to effect the anchorage referred to above.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides "ice in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a wallboard corner provided with corner protecting trim embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken through Figure l on the plane of the line 2-2;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating a portion of the trim shown in Figure 1, and having a part thereof broken away and in section to illustrate details;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through the corner shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a length of trim embodying this invention and especially designed for use as an edge protecton for wallboard; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a length of trim somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 5 and also embodying this invention.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numerals 4 and 5 designate two sheets of wallboard joined together to form a corner 6. It is, of course, to be understood that the wallboard is supported by studs or other suitable framing represented by the corner stub 7. Since wallboard of the type usually used for drywall constniction usually consists of a core of gypsum of the like between two layers of heavy paper, corner formed thereby must be protected. According- 1y, a metal corner trim 8 is provided. This corner trim is rolled from sheet metal into relatively long lengths, and has a pair of right angularly disposed relatively wide and substantially flat nailing flanges 9 connected by a corner portion 10. Nail holes in these flanges accommodate the nail 11 by which the trim is secured in place with the flanges flush against the wallboard surfaces defining the corner.

The corner portion 10 includes two substantially right angularly disposed, relatively narrow strips 12, connected together by a rounded corner 13, and joined to the flanges 9 by very narrow connecting strips or risers 14. The connecting strips or risers 14 serve to space the strips 12 outwardly from the plane of the side flanges 9, so that when the trim is in position a space 15 i formed beneath the corner portion. Holes 16 disposed across the junction of the narrow connecting strips or risers 14 and the flanges 9 provide a plurality of entrances into the space 15.

Accordingly, when spackle 17 or other suitable finishing cement is applied over the outer surfaces of the flanges 9 to conceal the same and the heads of the fastening nails 11, the spackle is forced through these holes 16 into the pace 15 to thereby securely rivet or anchor the spackle in place directly adjacent to the corner. To further assure against loosening of the spackle, the narrow connecting strips or risers 14 are disposed at an acute angle to the flanges 9 so that they form overhanging ledges under which the spackle extends and by which it is held in place.

It should be noted that the connecting strips or risers have the dual function of forming an overhanging ledge and positively spacing the corner portion from the adjacent wallboard. It is also important to note that since the layer or coat of spackle is feather-edged out over the adjacent wallboard surface, the anchorage which results from the defined cross-sectional shape of the trim is located where the spaclde layer or coat is thickest.

Figure 5 illustrates the application of this invention to edge protecting trim which is channel shaped in cross section, and has a wide flange 9 and a narrower back flange 18 connected by a Web 19. The nailing flange 9, like the flanges 9 of the corner protecting trim 8, is adapted to overlie the outer surface of the wallboard when the trim is in place embracing the edge of the wallboard, it being understood that the trim is applied to the board before the board is secured in place.

The junction of the flange 9 with the web 19 comprises a corner portion 20 which includes a strip 12"connected to the flange 9 by a narrow connecting strip or riser 14'. Thus, when thi trim i applied to an edge portion of a sheet of wallboard, a space is defined beneath the corner portion and more particularly the strip 12. Holes 16' extending across the junction of the connecting strip or riser 14 and the flange 9 provide entrances to this space and enable the spackle to be forced into the space in the manner previously described.

The trim shown in Figure 6 is essentially the same as that of Figure 5, except for the omission of the back flange 18. .Instead, the web 19 has its marginal edge rolled or turned in as at 19' and in use abuts against the adjacent door or window frame. 7

Attention is directed to the fact that while the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6 have only one wide nailing flange and only one overhanging ledge, all embodiments of the invention are essentially the same.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides maximum assurance against loosening of the spackle used to cover the nailing flanges of dry wall trim, and that this advantage is obtained without in anywise complicating the manufacturing procedures involved in the production of such trim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A wallboard trim comprising an elongated sheet metal member of substantially uniform thickness bent along its length to provide a relatively wide substantially flat nailing flange with nail holes therein at intervals therealong adapted to overlie a surface of the wallboard to which the trim is to be attached, and another flange disposed substantially at right angles to said nailing flange and connected therewith by a corner portion which includes a narrow strip substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from said nailing flange by a narrower connecting strip or riser disposed at an acute angle to said nailing flange so that the riser spaces the corner portion of the trim from, the surface of the wallboard to which the nailing flange is secured and forms a ledge under which 'spackle applied to the outer surface of the nailing flange and the adjacent wallboard surface may flow to be thereby held against separation from the nailing flange, the nailing flange having other holes therein at its junction with said narrow connecting strip or riser through which spackle may flow into the space between the corner portion and the wallboard to be further anchored against separation from the nailing flange.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

